Georgia Power's renewable buy-in

Georgia Power’s head honcho claims to be “very bullish on renewables.”

Earlier this week, Paul Bowers showed it again.

The utility company pledged to buy enough wind-generated electricity to power 50,000Georgiahomes starting in 2016. The announcement comes on the heels of Georgia Power committing earlier this year to an increase in solar resources.

As I wrote in a column earlier this year, Georgia Power deserves credit for striving to expand its energy portfolio. While wind and solar will account for no more than 3 percent of the electricity the utility distributes, tweaking the power-generating resources makes since not just environmentally, but financially.

Just imagine if Georgia Power could have looked into its crystal ball 15 years ago and foresaw the natural gas boom and been proactive in converting its power plants rather than reactive?

That’s not to say renewables are ever going to become the main resources. But once Georgia Power secures a relationship or makes an investment in a resource – be it wind, solar, nuclear, natural gas, whatever – it gives the utility leverage and the ability to react more quickly to market forces.

Plus, wind is more and more considered a wise investment. A recent U.S. Department of Energy study forecast wind power could account for as much as 20 percent of the nation’s electricity by 2030.

Georgia Power’s new wind deal is with a company out ofOklahoma.Texas,California,Iowa,IllinoisandOregonare the other big players in wind power. There are no commercial wind operators within the state ofGeorgia.